Broken
by E. Limberg
Summary: Mac finds out about Stella's investigation and is forced to take action. What will he do when she takes off? What I hope happens in the last few episodes of the season. Based off of spoilers. Uses Lifehouse song. Mac and Stella.
1. Suspended

**Broken**

**Chapter 1: Suspended**

_The broken clock is a comfort_

_It helps me sleep tonight_

_Maybe it can stop tomorrow_

_From stealing all my time_

Stella passes by Mac's office on the way to her own and glances at him inside. He looks up from the paper he is holding and motions her in. "What's up, Mac?" she smiles at him.

"Take a seat, Stella."

She frowns, wondering what is wrong, and sits down opposite him. Was she in trouble? Had someone filed a complaint against her? She couldn't think of anyone she had angered recently. "Is something wrong?"

"What is this?" he hands over a lift of a print he had taken from a crime scene.

"A fingerprint? I don't understand what you're trying to say," she studies the print for a moment, looking for anything unusual.

"Do you know who it belongs to?"

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

"I found it at the Diakos scene."

"And it's just now being run through the system? Mac, this is why I wanted the case; things would get done if I were on it. We might even know who killed him already."

"Apparently you _have_ been working the case," he hands over the print out Adam had given him about the owner of the print. "I would've thought you'd be happy that the man that attacked you is dead, but I guess that not enough for you."

"Obviously there is someone more dangerous out there that desperately wants those coins if Diakos is dead, Mac," she looks down at the sheet he gave her only to find her picture staring up at her.

"You were there, Stella," he hands her another sheet, "and so was Angell."

"Mac, it's not what it looks like…"

"Given the person involved in the case, I assume it was your idea, and you convinced Angell to help you," he looks at her, his blue eyes hard and distant. She is unable to read his thoughts.

"Leave Angell out of it; it was my idea, and she shouldn't be punished for being a good friend. But I swear, Mac, we had nothing to do with his death."

"How can I be sure of that?"

"Mac, you know I wouldn't kill him; I was just looking for something in order to put him jail."

"I thought I knew you, Stella, but now I'm not so sure. The Stella I know wouldn't have disobeyed my order no matter how emotionally involved she was in the case; the Stella I know wouldn't have been stupid enough to endanger herself and a colleague like that; the Stella I know wouldn't have hid what she was doing from me."

She looks away from his eyes, "Things change. This case just… got to me. I couldn't let him continue to kill people."

Mac rubs his head, not sure what to do about her. "I trusted you, Stella, and I thought you trusted me too. But now I don't think I can ever confide in you again. How could you do this to me? To our team? To the lab? Do you know what will happen if the press finds out what you've been doing?"

"I know I screwed up. And I really wanted to tell you, but I knew you'd be angry and I didn't want you to get hurt if something happened."

"What if you had died? Diakos already tried to kill you once; I'm sure he'd have no trouble breaking your neck like those other people. Do you think I wouldn't have been hurt if something had happened to you?" he practically yells at her.

"I was stupid; how many times do I have to say it?"

"I really don't know what to do with you, Stella. I never expected you to do something like this. I am very disappointed in you."

She finally looks back into his eyes and sees his hurt and anger. "Just fire me and get it over with."

"I kept you off that case to protect you; I thought it was the best thing for you, and now I can see that I was clearly wrong. However, that does not excuse your actions," he stands up.

She follows suit, "I appreciate all that you've done for me, Mac. You were a great boss and wonderful friend. I know it doesn't change anything, but I am sorry for not telling you about what I was doing."

"One month on suspension until I decide what actions should be taken," he holds his hand out. She removes her gun and badge and hands them over to him. "I will try my hardest to save your job, but I can't promise anything. You were a great CSI, and we're going to miss you. And I want you to know that… I care about you a lot, Stel."

Stella looks at him one last time before heading to the elevators.

**A/N: So this is what I hope happens in the last few episodes of the season... kind of uses some spoilers I've read so... I was going to write a story about Diakos attacking her again after Mac found out, but since he died before I got the chance... I guess that's not going to happen. There's twelve more chapters of this, and it kind of goes in a different order than how it will actually happen on the show 'cause I think Lindsay is supposed to have the baby before the whole Greek thing is wrapped up. Anyway... I can't wait for school to be over. I think we have like thirty-five more days. So... I guess that's all. I meant to start this last weekend but kind of forgot. If I got lots of reviews, I'll update again tomorrow. If not, Friday if I have time; we're supposed to be moving my great aunt or something. I hope you liked it so far and please review. **


	2. Greece

**Chapter 2: Greece**

_I am here still waiting_

_Though I still have my doubts_

_I am damaged at best_

_Like you've already figured out_

Stella looks out the small round window, trying to force her tears to stay inside as the plane circles around New York City. After all, everything that had happened to her she had brought upon herself. In her opinion, she deserved to be fired, but there was still plenty of time for Mac to change his mind.

Once she sees the endless ocean underneath the plane, she leans back in her seat, preparing to go to sleep. However, her mind refuses to let her rest, trying to decide what her next move will be when the plane lands in Europe.

An hour into the flight the attendant comes around with the drink cart. Stella asks for water, and her neighbor hands it to her. "Is this your first trip to Greece?" the woman asks.

"Yeah," Stella tells the fifty-some year old woman.

"It's lovely. I lived there for ten years before my family came to the United States. If you don't mind my asking, are you Greek? Your skin color looks Mediterranean."

"Part Greek and part Italian."

"Do you know what part you ancestors came from?"

"No, I don't know my parents. I grew up in foster care in New York," she informs the lady.

"So are you going there to look for them or just to see it?"

She pauses for a moment. "I really don't know why I'm going," she admits, going on to explain her current situation over the next few hours of the flight.

After telling her story, Stella feels better and thinks that she might now be able to sleep. The woman gives her some advice before they fall into a comfortable silence in order to get some rest.

**Broken**

Mac sits at his desk, deep in thought. He still couldn't believe what Stella had done. How could she have lied to him? He thought he was her best friend, the one she told everything. Apparently he had been wrong about her. He desperately wants to go talk to her as a friend, not a boss, and find out what had happened between them. Of course, that wasn't exactly the best idea; they'd probably end up having a screaming match, which he was thankful didn't happen earlier.

Danny and Lindsay knock on his door before entering, "Hey, have you seen Stella lately? We've got some news on the case, but she's not in the lab and not answering her phone."

"She's…" he can't bring himself to say it out loud and gazes down at her badge lying on his desk.

"What happened, Mac?" Lindsay asks softly.

"She's gone. She… I found her print in Diakos' apartment; she had been working the case behind my back. I suspended her until I decide what should be done."

"I'm sorry, Mac," Danny whispers.

"I can't believe she did this."

"What's going on? Anybody talked to Stella? She won't answer her phone, and we've got a new suspect," Flack enters the office. Lindsay quietly tells him what happened. "Mac… what was she thinking?"

He shakes his head, "I have no idea. She just couldn't let him go."

"Aren't you going to go talk to her?"

"I don't think it'll do a bit of good right now; we'd just end up more upset with each other."

"Mac, you have to go talk to her," Lindsay says gently. "You can't lose her friendship."

"You guys get back to work; I'll go see if she'll talk to me." Mac sighs and stands up, "She probably hates me and never wants to see me again."

"I'm sure that's not true," Flack puts a hand on the older detective's shoulder. "You and Stella have a strong bond, deeper than either of you realize."

Mac heads out the office door, taking his time as he drives over to Stella's apartment in order to figure out what to say to her. He knocks on his door, still undecided about how she would react to his appearance at her door. A minute passes with no sound from inside. He knocks again, "Stella, please talk to me."

The man across the hall opens his door, "Are you looking for her? The brunette with the curls?"

"Yeah, have you seen her?"

"She left over an hour ago; don't know where she was going, but she had a suitcase with her."

"Thanks," Mac pulls out his phone out as he climbs back into the elevator and calls Adam. "Hey, can you check Stella's credit card records for me? She seems to have disappeared."

"Yeah, give me a moment," Adam puts his phone of speaker mode and pulls up her records. "Last activity was fifty-seven minutes ago. Purchase was made at the airport."

"Can you find out where she was going?" Mac asks, already sure of the answer.

Adam clicks on a few things before finding the answer, "Flight left for Greece half an hour ago."

**A/N: What will Mac do now? I guess if you've read the spoilers you might have an idea. Anyway... I'm sorry for not updating yesterday. I kind of forgot 'cause we had to move my great aunt. I'll try to update every other day from now on. So... it's like really hot today. I don't like it; I'd rather it be cold. Well, I will try to update again Monday. Keep reading and reviewing please.**


	3. Locating Stella

**Chapter 3: Locating Stella**

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart that's still beating_

_In the pain there is healing_

_In your name I find meaning_

Still unsure what to do now that she is in Greece, Stella finds a hotel. Having not slept well in the plane, this being her first flight over an hour long (she had only been in a plane to go to DC before), she chooses to sleep for a few hours now that she actually has a bed. When she woke up in the morning, she would find herself some food and do a little sightseeing until she discovered what it is she really is seeking in Greece.

**Broken**

Mac is relieved when the pilot announces that they will be landing shortly, meaning all chairs must be put in the upright position. He had barely gotten two hours of sleep with the person next to him and the person behind him snoring loudly all night long. The flight attendant wakes the two travelers that were continuing to snore.

He quickly finds his luggage and has little difficulty navigating the airport due to all the signs having about five different languages on them, one being English. Once outside the airport, he turns his phone on and calls Stella, hoping she had turned her phone on by now. It goes immediately to voicemail, and he hangs up. Next he calls Adam, hoping she had made another credit card purchase so that he could find her.

"Hey, Mac. She's paid for a hotel room. I'll email you directions from the airport to the hotel," Adam answers, already knowing what his boss would want.

"Thanks, Adam. Let me know if she makes anymore purchases."

"Sure. Call us when you find her."

Mac hangs up and waits for the email. The hotel is downtown so he finds a cab to take him. When it pulls up outside the hotel, he takes out his wallet to pay the man. "Oh, I only have American money. I was in such a hurry I forget to exchange some money," he sighs.

"I can take your money and use it next week when my wife and I visit our son. He's studying in New York," the driver says in a heavy accent.

"That's where I'm from," Mac smiles, handing the man some money. "Is that enough?"

"More than enough. Let me get you some change," he pulls out his bag of money.

Mac exits the car, "That's okay. You keep it." He retrieves his suitcase and thanks the man before heading inside, hoping he is fortunate enough to find some English-speaking people.

He approaches the counter, digging a picture of Stella out of his wallet. "Have you seen her?"

The lady, not understanding English, looks at the picture and nods because she knows who is talking about. She walks away, and he is unsure if he should follow her. She returns a minute later with a man.

"Hello. How can I help you?" he asks the detective.

"Have you seen this woman?" Mac hands over the picture.

"Why are you looking for her?" he asks cautiously, handing the picture back. He didn't want to be responsible if this guy was looking for her in order to hurt her.

"She's my partner back in New York. We're detectives," he explains. "We… had an argument, and she took off and came here."

"An argument? I don't think that she'd come all the way here from America if it was just an argument. I'm sorry, sir, but I can't tell you where she is."

"Obviously you've seen her, or you would've told me you haven't. I'll just sit down here and wait until she comes through here," Mac heads to a couch in the lobby.

"Sir, if you don't leave, I'll call the police. I can't have you stalking my customers," the man picks up the phone.

"I'm not stalking her. Just call up to her room and tell her that Mac Taylor is down in the lobby and would like to speak with her."

"Sir, please leave my hotel and don't return. I will not allow you to hurt this woman on my property, you creepy American."

"I just want to talk to her. I don't intend to harm her," Mac tries to explain again.

The elevator dings as the doors open, but neither man pays attention. "Leave, or I'm calling the police."

Stella steps out of the elevator, wondering what is going on; then again, she was on vacation, and it wasn't her problem. She heads to the doors but pauses mid-step as she recognizes one of the voices involved in the argument. Immediately she turns around to face the two men. "Mac… what the hell are you doing here?"

**A/N: What will she do to him for following her? Guess you'll have to keep reading to find out her reaction. I will update again on... Wednesday before the new episode. I can't wait for it. Keep reviewing please.**


	4. Sightseeing

**Chapter 4: Sightseeing**

_So I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm barely holding on to you_

Mac turns around, "Stella?"

The hotel manager's gaze goes from him to her. "Do you know this man? He was looking for you, and I was about to call the police," he says in Greek.

She replies, "Yes, he's a friend. There's no need to call the police. I'm sorry about this."

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I wasn't sure whether he was being honest, and I didn't want you to get hurt."

"It's fine. You can never be too careful," she smiles.

Mac looks back and forth between the two. "Would someone like to tell me what's going on?"

"I'm so sorry for accusing you of being… a creep. I take back everything I said before. You are more than welcome to stay here if you'd like," the manager apologizes to Mac.

Mac glances at his partner before replying. "I understand your actions. And… I would like a room for at least one night."

The manager goes back behind the desk and searches on a computer for available rooms. "There is nothing currently open near her room, but the person in the room next door is leaving later today. You can have that room after we have cleaned it if that's okay." He looks at the couple.

"Sure."

"You can put your stuff in my room for now, Mac," Stella offers.

"I'll give you the key as soon as it's ready."

"Thanks," he follows Stella to the elevator.

Once the doors close, she repeats her question. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you here."

"Mac, I can take care of myself. I don't need you to be here."

"I want to be here, Stel. These men are dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Maybe I didn't come here to hunt them down. I'm not stupid enough to go after them by myself."

He places his hand on her shoulder, "Then what did you come here for?"

"I really don't know. It was just… the first idea that popped in my head after I left your office."

After watching her for a moment, he decides that she is telling the truth. "Well, since we're here, we might as well do some digging for information."

"I'm on suspension, and you're asking me to help with the case? The defense is going to definitely going to like this case."

"Maybe I'm just asking for your help as… someone who speaks the language so we can communicate with these people. Besides, I'm not on the clock. I called in sick for a few days; I knew Sinclair would never approve of spending money on me coming here, even if it will help the case."

She looks at him curiously, "If Sinclair finds out you called in sick to follow me to Greece, you're going to be fired too."

"Maybe you've had a bad influence on me," Mac smiles.

She opens the door to her room, and he wheels his suitcase inside. "So… are you hungry?"

"Starving. But can I take a quick shower and change first?"

"You better be quick because all I've eaten in the past twenty-four hours is airplane food."

Ten minutes later he comes out of the bathroom, buttoning up his blue shirt. "So what were your plans for today?"

"I was going to do some sightseeing. But if you have to get back to New York, we can do some investigating today, and I'll vacation later."

"No, sightseeing is fine. Besides, I'm not leaving here unless you're coming with me."

"I wasn't planning on leaving for a while so it looks like we're both going to be searching for a new job."

"So what exactly do you want to see?"

"This morning we can go to the Temple of Zeus, the Parliament building, the stadium, the Acropolis, and the Acropolis museum. And this afternoon, we can walk that hill," she points out the window, "eat dinner, and come back down."

"What else is there left to do then?" he dares to ask.

"Tomorrow I figure we'll start the archeological museum and go from there. Then in the evening we'll go to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and see the show there."

"Are you sure you were not planning on coming here?"

"Well, I've looked into it a couple times, but I just haven't gotten around to actually coming."

"Is there anything else you'd like to do while you're here?"

"I'd like to go up to Delphi. And to Cape Sounion. And there's always the islands and the beaches, but on such a tight schedule I guess I can live without seeing them."

"We've got a pretty busy day ahead of us. We'd better get going," Mac offers her a hand and leads her out the door.

**A/N: I couldn't make Stella mad at him after the other guy threatening to call the police. Plus, I'm sure she knew he'd come after her eventually. Anyway... I have to work on my research paper for English. Please keep reviewing and I will update sometime on Friday.**


	5. Still Friends

**Chapter 5: Still Friends**

_The broken locks were a warning_

_You got inside my head_

_I tried my best to be guarded_

_I'm an open book instead_

"So you're not mad that I came?" Mac asks as they wait for their dinners.

"No. Actually, I was kind of expecting you to follow. Just not for a few days."

"Look, I know this is going to be difficult because I'm positive that Sinclair is going to make me fire you, but I still want to be friends with you, Stella."

"I want to be friends too, Mac. And don't blame yourself when he tells you that you have to fire me; what's happened is over, and it was my choice. There's nothing you can say that is going to change his mind."

"I know, but I believe that people deserve second chances."

"I bet if it were Danny in my place, you wouldn't hesitate to fire him."

He laughs, "Probably not. But he's gotten a second chance. And a third."

She looks out over Athens from Lykavittos Hill, "I don't think I want to go home, Mac. It's too beautiful here."

"You should take more vacations, go travel around the world."

"It's tempting, but I think I'd run out of money after a few weeks."

He watches her shiver in the chilly evening air and stands to help her put her sweater on. "I'm really going to miss having you around all the time."

She quickly wipes away a tear that falls from her eye. "I have no idea what to do now. It's like… the world has ended since I can't be a CSI anymore."

"I'll help you find something. Don't worry about that right now, Stella," he gently kisses the top of her head before returning to his seat.

"You're not going to punish Angell, are you?"

"No, you've admitted that it was your idea; she should be fine. Flack might not be happy with her, but they'll get through it."

"You know, until he sent me that rat, I never thought about breaking the rules. Although at that time you hadn't actually said that I couldn't work on the case so…"

"I never got around to asking you about the other guy involved. What happened to him?"

Stella looks away, somewhat embarrassed, "He's actually here in Greece. Cyprus, if you want to be specific. But… we told him we'd ship him off to Cyprus if he wouldn't tell us where Diakos was. He gave in, but we still… shipped him here."

"Shipped?"

"In a crate on the docks. I can't imagine that it was a pleasant journey home."

He stares at her for a minute, "Maybe we should go see him. He can probably give us the names of his partners and other information to catch them."

"I… don't think he's going to talk to me ever again. Maybe you should go alone."

"No, you're going to come with me."

She sighs, "I'd rather you just tell me how irresponsible it was and how I could be charged with murder if he had died."

He shakes his head at her, "You're not getting away that easily. Besides, I'm sure the Greek police were glad to have him in custody."

"Did you happen to… bring at least a picture of the coin? I didn't really think about it before I left, not that I had access to one."

"I brought the whole file with me."

Their meals arrive, and they fall into silence as they eat. Mac's phone starts to ring, interrupting them. He looks at it, "It's Adam. I was supposed to call and tell them when I found you." He stops the ringing.

"So you're just going to let them think that I'm still missing?"

"I'll call him on the way down."

They enjoy the rest of their meal and the time together before starting down. Stella continues to look out over the city as Mac returns Adam's call. "Hey, Adam. Yes, Stella is fine. We've just been doing some sightseeing."

Suddenly she slips, not paying attention to the stairs. Mac quickly puts his hand around her arm to steady her. "Thanks," she mumbles.

"Adam, I'll call you back tomorrow." He hangs up and follows her, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she pauses, waiting for him to catch up.

He puts his arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer. "Are you okay emotionally?"

She glances at him before focusing on the ground again. "Yeah, I'll be alright."

"Don't worry about it right now, Stella. Just enjoy yourself while you're here."

"Why does it feel so different?"

"Why does what feel different?" he looks at her, confused.

"Our friendship."

Mac shrugs, "I think that this is just going to make us stronger."

**A/N: Sorry... we had states for band yesterday and updating kind of slipped my mind. I will probably post again tomorrow evening. I'm going to try to post the last chapter of this - don't worry; it's still a while away - on the day of the episode where they go to Greece. Which means I may have to post a couple days in a row in order to do so. I'm thinking I'll proabably post Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week so it is finished. Please keep reviewing.**


	6. Names and Warnings

**Chapter 6: Names and Warnings**

_I still see your reflection_

_Inside of my eyes_

_That are looking for a purpose_

_They're still looking for life_

Mac knocks softly on her door. She answers a minute later, barefoot and attempting to put her necklace on. "I thought we agreed on eight," he smiles to himself.

"I know, I woke up late," she frowns at him, struggling with the clasp on her jewelry.

He gently takes the necklace from her hands and clasps it. "There."

"Just let me get my shoes on," she sits on the bed to tie her tennis shoes. When she stands up, she puts her phone, wallet, and room key in her pockets. She turns around to find him staring at her. "What?"

"Did you shrink or something? Normally you're only like an inch shorter than me."

"Mac, I have to wear heels to work."

He looks away, "Ready now?"

"Yeah," she grabs a different sweater and pulls it on.

"So what are you going to make me eat for breakfast today?" he smiles at her.

"I thought you enjoyed your dinner last night."

"It was delicious; it just feels odd trusting you to order for me."

Her smile fades, "Because I lied to you."

"No, I didn't mean that," he sighs. "I just mean that I'm not used to trusting people like this."

"What would you like to eat?"

He shrugs, "I suppose they don't have pancakes here."

"Not pancakes… but something similar," she says as they get off of the elevator.

**Broken**

"We'd like to see George Kolovos," Mac tells the officer in the prison.

"And you are?"

"Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera of the New York Police Department. We have been investigating a case in which the smuggling of ancient Greek coins is involved; actually, we're the ones who gave Kolovos to you. His partner is dead, and we'd like to ask him a few questions about some colleagues of his that could be involved."

"I will have him brought to an interrogation room and contact some officers for you to talk to," the man escorts them back into a small room to wait.

Ten minutes later Kolovos is brought in. He says something in Greek, and the officers with him look at Stella. She doesn't react.

One of the men begins to translate for them, "He said -"

"I understood him perfectly, officers," she smiles at Kolovos. "We came to ask about your partners."

"I gave you Diakos."

"He's dead. We want to know who you were working with. The others that double-crossed you."

"What's in it for me?"

Another man enters the room, this one older, a superior officer. "We may shorten your sentence if your information is good."

"I don't know. She lied to me before," he looks suspiciously at Stella.

"You give them the names, we'll cut your life imprisonment in half."

Mac frowns, wondering how they would do that, but doesn't question it.

"I can give you the names, but you'll never be able to track them down. You couldn't even find Diakos."

"We still want the names," Mac says.

"Alright," Kolovos says, taking the pen offered to him and writing the three names on the piece of paper in front of him. He hands it to the officer in charge, who glances at it before giving it to Mac.

"Anything you'd like to tell us?" Stella asks.

Kolovos says something else in Greek to her before he is escorted out of the room.

Mac looks expectantly at her, waiting for her to tell her what he said. She just stares after him. "So?"

"He said I was lucky that Diakos didn't break my neck when he had the chance; he wishes he would have. And he said that these men are much more dangerous than he and Diakos were so… I should watch out," she finally looks at him.

"What exactly have you two found in your country?" the officer asks.

Mac removes the file from a bag and hands him the pictures of the coins, "We have been told that they are thousands of years old."

He nods, "Are these the coins Kolovos and the others smuggled out of the archeological site?"

"We believe so."

"What do you plan on doing with these men after you find them?"

"Well, I assume they'll be tried for whatever crimes they committed in the US. And then we'd be glad to send them over here so that you can punish them for smuggling," Mac says.

"And the coins?"

"Once we are done with the case, we'd also be glad to send as many of those as we find back to Greece so that they can be put in a museum where they belong."

"I appreciate your promise to do so. If you would like, I can run these names and see if there's any information that can help you."

"We would be grateful for that."

**A/N: I meant to update yesterday, but my uncle from California flew in and I didn't have time. So... I should have time to update again tomorrow evening and then again on Wednesday. Please keep reviewing.**


	7. Tears

**Chapter 7: Tears**

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart that's still beating_

_In the pain is there healing_

_In your name I find meaning_

Mac leaves Stella with the officer to run the names while he calls his lab in order to give them the leads.

"Have you lived in Greece before?" he asks.

"No, I've lived in New York my whole life. In foster care."

"Hm… you look oddly familiar. I can't figure out why though. I recognize the eyes… and the hair."

"You've probably seen lots of people that look somewhat like me during your many years as a police officer."

"You're probably right," he sighs. "I just can't shake the feeling that I've met you before."

"Well, I've never even visited Greece before this so…"

Mac comes back inside, "Adam found little of interest during his brief search, but he's still working on it."

"How are the others?"

"Busy without us there."

"I suppose we should schedule a flight home soon."

He nods, "We'll see if there's a flight leaving two days from now."

"Here you go. It looks like they've all immigrated to the US and haven't been back to Greece since," he hands Mac a few papers.

"Anywhere that we should visit while we're here?" Stella asks.

"Well, most tourists like to go to the beaches and the islands. They're very unique, at least to Americans. And Delphi is interesting too."

"Thanks for your help," Mac hands him a business card. "We'll be in touch."

**Broken**

"So what did Kolovos say to you?" Mac asks when they are back at the hotel.

"I already told you. He just used more detail that I did."

"I meant when they brought him in."

"Oh… it's not important," she dismisses it.

"Obviously the officers thought it was."

"Or maybe they just thought neither of us could understand him and thought it would be polite to translate."

He sighs, "Why won't you tell me? Are you hiding something else from me?"

"No… only what he said."

Mac shakes his head at her, figuring he'll trick her into telling him later. "Now what are we going to do?"

"Well," she checks her watch, "it's about noon. We could catch a cab or bus and go up to Delphi for the afternoon. And then tomorrow we can go over to one of the islands."

"What, no shopping?" he smiles at her.

"Not right now. But we do have to get the guys something, or they'll be mad."

They leave the case file in his room before departing again to hail a taxi. "It looks like a long ride. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat before we go?" he says as he studies a map.

"I'm still full from breakfast, but if you're hungry, we can stop for a snack."

"No, I can wait until dinner."

During the drive, Stella tells Mac what the officer had said to her. "What do you think about it?"

He looks out the window for a moment before answering. "You are part Greek. There are probably hundreds of people here that share a couple characteristics with you. I mean, it could be a relative, maybe even one of your parents but… I wouldn't get your hopes up. The chance of finding them considering you don't have names is… a hundredth of a percent maybe."

"I know, Mac. I waited for years for them to come pick me up for my foster home, but they never did. I gave up when I was eight. They didn't care about me."

"I'm sure they loved you, Stella. They probably just… couldn't keep you for some reason. Maybe they couldn't afford a baby. Or maybe it was an accident and she was too young like Claire was." She turns her eyes from his in order to look out the window, sad. It takes him a few minutes to realize what he said. "I didn't mean it to come out like that."

"I know. You just meant that they didn't plan to have me and weren't prepared to care for a baby."

He takes her hand in his, "I'm glad that you're alive, Stella. You make not think that you're important but without you… I wouldn't have died eight years ago when Claire was gone. And if that didn't kill, there are plenty of other times you've saved my life. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it, Stel."

A tear falls down her cheek, and he wipes it away. "I'm sorry, Mac. I…"

"Don't you dare think for even a second that you haven't made a difference in my life. And in Danny's and Lindsay's and everyone else at the lab. And all those victims you've brought justice to."

"Mac, I've ruined it. My life is over because of him. I can't believe what I've done," Stella whispers, the full effects of her actions finally hitting her.

Mac pulls her into a hug, letting her release her emotions.

**A/N: I have finally figured out when I will update to get this done before the finale... Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I can't wait for tomorrow's episode. Which reminds me... I have to go watch Castle and study for my AP Calculus test that is tomorrow. Well... keep reviewing.**


	8. A Photograph

**Chapter 8: A Photograph**

_So I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm barely holding on to you_

Mac's cell phone rings, waking him up. "Mac Taylor."

"Is Stella there?" the police officer they talked to the previous day asks.

"Can I have her call you back within the hour?" he asks, knowing Stella was probably still asleep and would be grumpy if woken up.

"Sure."

Unable to go back to sleep after the call, Mac gets up and takes a shower. As he is getting dressed, there is a timid knock on his door. He goes over to open it, his shirt still in his hand. "Good morning, Stella."

"Hi," she looks questioningly down at his bare chest but doesn't comment. "I couldn't sleep well so I finally just got up. The sunrise was beautiful."

"You should have come over sooner," he places his hand on her shoulder. "I would've forgiven you for waking me if you wanted to talk."

"No, I'm okay. It's all over now anyway," she walks past him into his room.

"Actually, you got a call this morning. He would like to talk to you."

She knows immediately who she is talking about. "I… don't know what to do."

"Do you really want to know?"

"I…" she shrugs. "I've lived for thirty-eight years without knowing. I can live without the knowledge. Yet… something makes me want to know."

"Call him back and see what he has to say. If it's important to you to find your parents, I'll head home without you," he holds out his phone to her.

She takes it and sits down on his bed. When he returns from the bathroom a few minutes later, she is sitting in the same position. "He wants us to stop by on our way to the dock today."

"Okay."

**Broken**

"I finally figured out why you look so familiar," he holds out a picture to her.

Stella looks at it for a moment before handing it to Mac. He has to admit to himself that the woman looks incredibly like his partner even though the picture is in black and white.

"I went to school with her. She disappeared at the end of our senior year, and I haven't seen her since. That was in 1970. I searched her in our database, and it said she moved to the United States that year. I still see her parents around about once a year. I could give you an address if you want to go see them."

Stella grabs Mac's hand, and he squeezes her hand reassuringly. "I… Thank you for this information, but… I'd rather not since we really can't know for certain whether she is my… my… mother or not. But I appreciate you trying to help me."

"No problem. You can keep that information in case you change your mind."

The couple silently leaves the office and walks down to the docks to catch the ferry. Mac finally takes the picture out of her hands as they get on the boat. "Talk to me, Stella."

"She has to be, Mac. We look way too much alike for us not to be related. And it says she was born in 1952, meaning she was eighteen when she moved to the US. Eighteen when I was born. She was too young to be able to properly raise a baby. I bet her parents made her move away when they found out that she was pregnant, especially when the father wasn't Greek. They wanted to hide it so they shipped her off. She had no choice but to give me up."

"I can call Adam if you'd like and see if he can find anything on her."

"No… no, I'd rather assume that I've figured it out. I don't want to know if it was different. I mean, I'd like to think that she had a good reason for giving me up… not that she just didn't want me."

"I understand," he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her close. "If that's what you want, I'll respect your decision."

Suddenly she looks up at him, "What would you do if you were in my position? Would you go search for the family?"

"I honestly don't know what I would do, Stella. I'm grateful that I had my parents, and I wish that you would've had that opportunity. I think I'd want to know the truth, especially now that I have a lead. But… I know why you don't want to do it. You've had too much disappointment in your life, and you don't want it to happen again. It's your decision, Stel. I'll stand beside you in whatever you choose to do," he informs her.

**A/N: Next chapter will be up Friday. I'm anxiously waiting for tonight. Although I have to sit at band for like two and a half hours before it because we have awards tonight. And we were supposed to playing Wicked music for out last concert, but they decided it was too hard to learn in a week and have more than a fourth of the people playing it. So... we're playing random songs from different movies like Indiana Jones (which I am so sick of because of dance and playing it during marching band) and ET and Star Trek and Jaws. Well, please keep sending your reviews.**


	9. Together

**Chapter 9: Together**

_I'm hanging on another day_

_Just to see what you throw my way_

_And I'm hanging on to the words you say_

_You said that I will, will be okay_

Mac sits down beside her on the ferry ride back to the mainland, "Stella, there's something we need to talk about before we go back to New York."

"I'm not going to change my mind, Mac. I don't want to know."

"No, something about us."

"Oh… what's wrong?"

"I don't think anything's wrong. It's just that… things have changed between us."

Stella looks out over the sea, thinking about their friendship. Ten years ago they'd never have been in Greece together, partly due to the fact that Claire was still there. But even five years ago she didn't think he would've followed her there. "I like us. I've never been this close to anyone," she admits.

"I like this too. But I've recently realized that my feelings go deeper than friendship, and I think we have the potential to become more than great friends."

"We already are so much more than friends, Mac," she takes his hand.

He sighs, not sure how to tell her without scaring her off. "I love you, Stella," he says out loud before he is able to stop himself.

She avoids looking at him for a few minutes. That apparently was not the best way to go. "I love you too," she whispers, so quietly that he thinks the wind is playing tricks on him.

"That was a huge mistake. I shouldn't have told you; now I'm probably going to lose you forever. I'm such an idiot," he gets up and walks to the railing.

She debates following him for a few minutes, struggling over whether she really wants to risk their friendship for something more. Eventually she stands and wanders over to him. "You've been around too many guns firing. Maybe you should get your ears checked," she leans against the railing next to him.

He frowns at her, "What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't a mistake, Mac. I… I love you too."

"I thought I imagined that you said that."

"No, I really said it."

"Are you sure this is what you want, Stella?"

"Is it what you want?" she counters.

"I just want you to be happy, Stel. If I don't make you happy, you're welcome to leave me," his eyes reveal his sadness at the thought to her.

"I've only been waiting ten years for you to say something; I'm not going to leave you, not without putting everything into this relationship."

"Ten years? Stella, I was married."

"I knew that. And I knew that you and Claire were happy, most of the time, so I didn't say anything to you. And then… you needed to time to recover and I never thought you'd actually feel the same way about me."

He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "And all along I thought you'd never love me."

"So… what do we do now?"

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"I'd be honored," she smiles. "Where are you taking me?"

"Hm… I'll have to ask the hotel manager what the best restaurant in town is when we get back."

"What are the others going to think about this when they find out?"

"Well, they'll probably think it's awkward at first. Although, you're not really at the lab anymore so maybe it won't be. I don't know…"

"We're not doing anything wrong, are we?"

"No, but if Sinclair finds out, I'm pretty sure he will not give you your job back."

"I have you; that's all that matters. I can find somewhere else to work if I have to," Stella reaches out and places a hand on his cheek.

"I don't want to imagine what it's going to be like without you at the lab."

"At least one good thing came out of this. Actually, two. I finally got to come to Greece, even if it was only for three days. And… I got the man of my dreams."

"Are you sure he isn't one of the tall, dark, and handsome men here is Greece?"

"He is handsome, but… he's from New York."

"Stella…" Mac begins, but he is cut off by her lips pressing against his. The kiss lasts only a moment, and he desperately wants more from her but lets her pull back. "What… was that?"

"Our first kiss."

"Definitely not how I imagined it. The kiss was better than I imagined, but the setting… well, I never pictured that it would be in Greece."

"I thought we'd get it over with and not pressure ourselves," she puts her arms around his neck.

"I was trying to figure out how I could kiss you good night after dinner tonight, and here you just do it," he shakes his head at her.

"Fine, I'll let you be the gentleman from now on."

**A/N: So they are finally together. I really want to know if they're going to get together on the show. And I want to know who is going to die in the finale. Anyway... I will post the next chapter on Sunday sometime. Keep reviewing please.**


	10. A BreakIn

**Chapter 10: A Break-In**

_The broken lights on the freeway_

_Left me here alone_

_I may have lost my way now_

_Haven't forgotten my way home_

Stella steps off the elevator and heads toward her apartment door. She had spent the morning at Mac's, napping after the long plane ride; he had showered and gone into work. As she gets closer, she notices scratches on the door. She puts her key in the lock, but it won't fit in. When she tries the knob, the door easily opens, revealing a mess.

She automatically reaches for her weapon, only to find that it's not there, reminding her that she is no longer a police officer. She dials Mac's number and stands out in the hallway with her luggage. "Hey, Mac, it's me."

"What's up, Stel?" he asks.

"I just got home and… my apartment has been broken into. They made a big mess and…"

"I should get there as quickly as I can?" he finishes her sentence.

"I'd really appreciate it."

"Sheldon and I will be over in twenty minutes. Stay outside of your apartment in case whoever it was is still in there waiting for you."

She sits down on the floor a little way down the hall and waits. As promised, Mac and Hawkes are there within twenty minutes. "I just got back. I have no idea why anyone would do this. There's nothing in there of great value."

Mac offers her a hand to help her up, "I think that someone is probably trying to send you a message, a threat perhaps. Someone like the people that killed Diakos. They probably want you to step down and don't know that you're no longer on the case."

She nods in agreement. "You know, Kolovos probably talked to them and told them that I was the one that would stop them. They probably just did all this because I wasn't here."

"It's a good thing you weren't. Hawkes and I will go in first and check it out, make sure no one is still in there. Then we'll start to process. You can come in then if you would like, see if anything is missing."

"Okay."

Five minutes later Hawkes comes back out to get his kit. "Mac would like you to come in; he just said not to touch anything."

"Well, I already touched the door knob because I didn't realize someone had broken in, but I'll try not to touch anything else."

"Thanks, Stel. I'm sorry about this. About the whole situation."

"It's my own fault, Sheldon. I shouldn't have gone against Mac's orders," she follows him inside.

"I'm going to start by the door, see if there are any prints other than Stella's," he tells the boss before heading back to the door.

"You wanted me to come in here," Stella says, watching him photograph a wall of her bedroom which is obscured from her view by his body.

He steps aside and gestures to the wall, "I assume it is in Greek, which strengthens my theory. Do you know what it says?"

Stella steps into the room. There is a warning painted in red on the wall above her bed. "Yeah, it's Greek."

"Would you care to translate it? Or should I call in a translator from the NYPD?"

""If you continue to hunt us down, the next message will be in your blood. You will never be able to find us.""

"If they can't be found, why are they worrying about us searching for them?" he asks, not expecting an answer. He pulls his keys out of his pocket, "I want you to go back to my place and stay there for a couple days until this is solved."

"Mac, I can take care of myself. I'll just get a hotel until this is cleaned up," she argues.

"No, you'll stay with me. I want you near me. Besides, it won't be awkward; I have a spare bedroom. It's not like I'm trying to rush you into anything."

"How can I be so sure of that?" she smiles at him, placing a hand lightly on his chest.

"Because I want this to work out, and rushing it will just ruin our friendship. Now… I'll call you if I find out anything. Be ready to go out for dinner at seven."

"How about I cook us a nice meal?"

"I guess that would be alright. But you don't have to."

"I want to. I'll just have to stop at the grocery on my way to your place because I couldn't find anything to eat over there this morning."

"Stella, when do I have time to go grocery shopping?"

She shrugs, "But I guess I can do that for you since I have nothing better to do during the day."

"Be careful," he kisses her cheek before allowing her to leave.

**A/N: Three more chapters to go. I will update again on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I have to work on my homework and watch Housewives. Please keep reviewing.**


	11. Good News

**Chapter 11: Good News**

_I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing_

_With a broken heart that's still beating_

_In the pain there is healing_

_In your name I find meaning_

"How do I know that it'll never happen again?"

"Because I know that she feels awful and regrets what she did," Mac says, lying just a little; he knew she regretted not telling him, not actually disobeying him. "I don't blame her for being personally connected to the case; Diakos tried to kill her after all. It's natural that she wanted him locked up."

"Mac, she endangered others. I can't have someone like that on the police force," Sinclair tells him.

"These men were dangerous whether it was her going after them or the Major Case team. Someone could have gotten killed either way. Stella is very passionate about what she does, and sometimes she gets a little… carried away in her search for justice. But I assure you, Chief, I will not let it happen again."

"Are you doing this for her or for yourself?"

"I'm doing this for the team. We depend on each other, and if you let Stella go, there will a large gap in our team that may affect our abilities as a team. We draw off each other's strengths and work together to improve our weaknesses. That is what makes our team the best at what we do."

He sighs, "Mac, I can't let her go without punishment."

"I have suspended her for a month. However, I see no reason why she can't come back to work now as long as she doesn't get paid since it is a busy time of the year for us."

Sinclair stares at Mac for a moment before answering. "Fine. But if anything else happens, I'm not guaranteeing that it will stay hidden. And she will be fired. You're responsible for keeping her in line."

"Thank you, sir," Mac offers his hand, but Sinclair doesn't move. He exits the office, heading down to get his things and go home to Stella.

**Broken**

"Hey," Mac says coming up behind her as she finishes getting ready for their date.

"Hi. How was your day?"

"Not too exciting. But I have some good news for you."

"Sinclair finally decided to fire me?"

"No."

"You found me another job?"

"No. Actually, I have two pieces of good news."

"Are you really going to stand there and make me guess or are you going to tell me?" she turns to face him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"It's much more fun to watch you guess," he smiles.

"By the time I figure it out, we'll have missed our dinner reservations."

"First, Sinclair has decided not to fire you. You're welcome to come back to work, but… you won't get paid until your month on suspension is over. I mean, if you want to come back even though you're not getting paid. There was no way I was going to convince him to let you come back without some type of punishment."

"I guess that's good," she says, not seeming very happy.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I've just been preparing myself for when he fired me; I really wasn't expecting him to listen to anything you had to say. You must have been pretty persuasive, Mac."

He shrugs, "I just told the truth. Well, I might have exaggerated a little."

"Thank you, Mac. I appreciate this. I don't know what I would've done if he would've fired me," she stands on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"It was nothing."

"So… what is the other good news?"

"We found two of the three men that Kolovos gave us. We will hopefully be able to make a case against them. But if not, I'm sure they have enough in Greece to put them away for a long time."

"What happened to the third one?"

"I don't know. He wasn't with the other two in the apartment they rented under a fake name. We've got men staking the place out in case he comes back. But I'm sure we'll find him soon enough. He'll make a dumb mistake or his partners will give him up eventually. You have nothing to worry about," he hugs her.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, they're all fine. Nobody was hurt."

"That's good then."

"So… what are we going to do now that I can come back to work? I mean, should we tell the guys or… keep it to ourselves for a while?"

"It doesn't matter to me."

"We'll let them figure it out on their own."

He smiles, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep," she takes his hand and let him lead her out the door.

"You do know that they'll figure it out in about thirty seconds if we walk into the lab holding hands tomorrow morning?"

"I know. But there's no one here to find out tonight."

**A/N: So I have some bad news (ironic, since the chapter is titled 'Good News')... they are apparently klling two people in the finale. And we won't find out who the second one is until the premiere in the fall. How evil can they be? I don't think they'd kill Mac (even though they have tried to in every other finale), and I really hope it's not Stella. And there would be lots of mad people if they killed Danny or Lindsay; plus it would just be mean to do that to them. This just ruined my day... Well, I have to write my conclusion to my research paper and practice my piccolo. Please keep the reviews coming. Two more chapters to go; next one will be up tomorrow.**


	12. A Shooting

**Chapter 12: A Shooting**

_So I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm barely holding on to you_

Stella enters Mac's office with a yawn, "I just need you to look this report over for me."

He holds out his hand for the file, "I'll trade you." She looks at him quizzically, and he gestures to another file sitting on his desk.

She picks it up and glances at it, "You want me to take it?"

"If you don't mind. It looks like it'll be a quick one, and I've got to head over to another scene."

"Is Flack already there?"

"No, Angell is."

"We'll try not to get in trouble this time," she smiles weakly at him. "When do you think you'll be home?"

He shrugs, "Don't bother waiting up for me or cooking. You're exhausted; go process the scene and get to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"It's just another day at work. I'm so glad to be back."

He shakes his head, "Get to work, or I'll let Sinclair fire you."

She looks around the lab quickly to make sure no one was watching them before moving closer to him. "Good night, Mac," she kisses him briefly before heading out.

Stella goes to her office to grab her coat before heading to the elevator. Danny is standing there, waiting for a cart to come. "Hey, Danny. Heading home?" she tries to hide her yawn from him.

"Yeah, what about you?" he notices the file in her hand.

"Mac gave me another case. He ordered me to process the scene and then go straight to bed."

"You're tired, Stella. Let me take it," he pulls the file from her grasp before she can protest.

"Danny, I can't let you do that. Lindsay is pregnant; you should be at home taking care of her until the baby comes. She's only got a few more days left. Besides, Mac's orders."

"I'd rather be processing a scene than with Lindsay right now. Every ten minutes I have to explain to her that she's not fat and still beautiful even though she is pregnant. I can't wait for this to be over."

"So you're excited to be a dad?"

He hesitates, "No, I'm definitely not ready yet. I don't want to let either of them down."

"You'll be a great father, Danny. Everything will fall into place once Lindsay delivers the baby," Stella assures, snatching the file back from him.

"Please, Stella. Let me take it. You need the sleep; I want to delay going home. It's a win-win situation."

They climb out of the elevator and head to the parking garage, Stella debating whether or not she should let him take it. Finally she sighs and gives the folder to him, "I guess Mac won't care as long as it gets done. You'll probably do a better job processing it than I would right now anyway. Angell is already waiting there."

"See you in the morning, Stella. I'll talk to Mac if he gives you any trouble about it," Danny takes off, happy to be avoiding his wife for the moment.

**Broken**

Mac's phone rings during the car ride over to the scene. "What's up, Don?"

"There was a shooting at the scene, the one Jess is at. I'm heading over there to check on her," Flack says, slightly worried. "She won't answer her phone."

"I'm sure it was nothing, Don. She's probably busy getting everything back under control," he assures automatically.

"I hope so. Hey, who did you send over to process the scene?"

"I'm on my way over now."

"No, Angell's scene."

"Oh, I gave the file to…" he pauses, now worried. "How bad did you say it was?"

"I don't know how bad it was. There was just an alert over the radio reporting gunshots at the scene. She hasn't responded to say it's okay. That's why I'm going over there."

"I'll turn around and go over there; it's only five minutes away," Mac makes a u-turn, panicked that something had gone wrong and Stella had been injured.

"See you in a few minutes," Don hangs up.

Mac presses the gas pedal down farther, racing to get there and praying to God that his Stella hadn't been hurt. Spotting the flashing lights of Don's car, he slams on the breaks, coming to a stop next to the empty car.

"Stella," he shouts, running into the alley.

Don is there, hands pressed against Angell's stomach. "Her pulse is weak; I don't think she's going to make it. Danny's… over there," he gestures with his head.

"Danny? I gave Stella the file," he rushes over to Danny and places his hands on the younger detective's bleeding shoulder. "Danny, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Mac," he says faintly.

"Did you call for an ambulance?" Mac asks over his shoulder.

"They should be here any minute."

"Danny, where is Stella?"

"I… Stella… she's… not…" Danny starts to lose consciousness.

"Come on, Danny. Tell me where she is."

There is no response. The ambulances arrive; the EMTs take Angell and Danny, Flack going with them to the hospital.

"Stella," Mac calls out as they pull away, walking deeper into the alley. Panic begins to take over when she is nowhere to be found.

**A/N: So is Stella okay? Guess you'll have to wait. CBS has the opening to tonight's episode up so... if you want to watch, Mac and Stella are arguing. I think I like the argument I wrote better. Although she didn't turn her badge in in my story... Anyway... I'm so excited. I have to get ready for my band concert... so I will post the last chapter of this tomorrow afternoon when I get home. Please keep reviewing.**


	13. Forever

**Chapter 13: Forever**

_I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm holding on_

_I'm barely holding on to you_

Stella answers her phone on the third ring, "Bonasera."

"Where the hell are you?"

The tone of his voice immediately awakens her. "I'm at home sleeping. Well, your home. Why?"

"There was a shooting at the scene, and Angell and Danny were shot. I was looking all over for you because you were supposed to be there and…"

"Danny offered to take the case because I was exhausted and he didn't want to go home to Lindsay yet so… I let him. Mac, are they okay?"

"I don't know. Flack went with them to the hospital. Angell was pretty bad; she was already unconscious when I got there. Danny's wound wasn't as bad, and he fell unconscious just before the ambulances came."

"You're going to the hospital?"

"Yeah. I should probably swing by and pick Lindsay up in case something does happen."

"No, I'll do it. I'll see you at the hospital in… half an hour. Hopefully Lindsay doesn't go into labor when she finds out what happened."

"See you soon. I… love you," he says for the first time since they returned from Greece.

"I love you too," she hangs up and quickly throws on a pair of jeans and a sweater.

Fifteen minutes later she is knocking on Danny and Lindsay's door. Lindsay answers, still half asleep. "Oh, hey, Stella. Have you seen Danny? He was supposed to be home a couple hours ago, and he didn't call to say he was going to be late."

"Yeah, but… you really should get dressed so we can go see him."

"Did something happen to him?"

"He and Angell were shot while at a scene. They were on their way to the hospital, and Mac wasn't sure how bad it was so…"

Lindsay rushes to get dressed and into the car. The two females are at the hospital in another fifteen minutes. As soon as he spots them, Mac rushes over to them. "How is he?" she asks before he can say anything.

"The doctors are pretty sure Danny will make it through surgery. They'll let us know when he is in recovery. But Angell… died on the way to the hospital."

"How's Flack doing?" Stella looks around the room for him.

"He went to see her father after he found out that Danny should be okay. He said he'd be back as soon as he could."

Lindsay wanders over toward the chairs in order to sit down.

Mac touches Stella's cheek, "Don't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault. And… I'm glad it's not you in there." He presses his lips to hers, grateful that she is safe.

When they break apart, they feel eyes watching them and turn to Lindsay. "Uh… I think the baby's coming," she says, struggling to stand because of the pain.

**Broken**

Three hours later Danny, Lindsay, and their new baby girl are all together, surrounded by everyone from the lab.

Mac pulls Stella from the room so that they can get some fresh air and talk. "Exciting day," he begins. She nods in agreement. "Stella…"

"Mac, no matter what Danny says, it's my fault. I shouldn't have let him talk me into giving him the case. You gave it to me, and I should've followed your orders. I'm… such an idiot. Just fire me so we can all move on."

"Stel, it isn't your fault. I'm not going to fire you; I shouldn't have given you the case in the first place. You were tired, and I should've seen that you couldn't last a few more hours. I should have given it to the night shift to take care of." He suddenly pulls her as close to him as physically possible, "I'm just so glad that you're okay, Stella. I know it's going to sound really bad but… I'm glad it was Danny at that scene and not you."

"That does sound bad, Mac," she manages a small smile and wraps her arms around him. "You know, if anything had happened to him, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"But he's okay, Stella. Or he will be in a few weeks. And now he gets more time off to spend with his two girls. He really should be thanking you."

"Mac…" a tear escapes her eye, closely followed by another. "I could've died today. It should've been me and not Danny. He has a family now, and… I don't have anything. He didn't deserve it."

"Hey, Stel, you have me. And without you, I'd be a mess. Don't ever say that you don't have anyone."

"I'm so sorry for everything I've done, Mac. I don't know why I did it; it was just so stupid of me. And now Angell's gone. She didn't deserve to die."

"I've already forgiven you, Stel."

"You shouldn't ever forgive me," she snaps, pulling away from him.

"Stella, stop this nonsense. I love you; all that matters to me is that you're safe."

"Well, stop loving me then."

"I can't do that." There is a full five minutes of silence before he speaks again. "No one blames you for everything that has happened the past few weeks. Things happen, and sometimes we can't stop them. We both know that; we see it every day. Now…" he slowly approaches her, "I love you, and nothing that happens is ever going to change that."

Stella slowly turns around to face him, inhaling sharply when she realizes how close he is to her. "Nothing?" she repeats.

"Nothing," he confirms. "I'm going to love you every second from now until I die."

She sniffs and wipes her tears away with her sleeve. "I love you, Mac," she wraps her arms around his neck, holding on as tightly as she can.

He pulls his head away slightly so that he can look into her eyes before kissing her. They don't break apart for a full three minutes when he decides that he should let her breathe or he's going to lose her sooner than he would like. "We should probably go back inside," he whispers, forehead leaning against hers.

"Just one more kiss," she lets her lips linger on his before pulling out of his reach to compose herself.

After a minute, he offers her a hand, hoping they could manage to be professional until they could escape for a while. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she takes his hand and squeezes it reassuringly to let him know that the pieces of her life were slowly being put back together thanks to him.

**A/N: Last night's episode was so good. I really don't want people to die tonight. Let's see... I'm not sure what you guys will be reading next. I think I have another one chapter thing done, but I have to figure out which one it is. And then I have to start writing again. But first I have to get through all these projects. I have a psychology presentations, which is really easy and all I need to do now is present my disorder (which is about serial killers); and then we're doing presentations in AP Calculus, which I'm not that far in mine and need to finish this weekend. Chemistry I just have to finish my last qualitative analysis test sometime... Spanish we're having presentations on a job we would like so I have to start the actual presentation part now that I've done the report. And for Brit Lit we're doing research papers... which I'm acutally done writing. I just have to have a whole bunch of people edit it. And then we'll have to do a speech the following week. I hate speeches... Anyway, I hope you guys will tell me what you thought now that this is over. You'll have to tell me whether you like this story or what actually happened better. I can't decide... maybe if they would've admitted that the love each other on the show... Well, thanks to all that read this and especially those that took the time to review.**


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